Level Of Sentience
by Clez
Summary: Underestimating lifeforms can be a dangerous risk...
1. Chapter 1

The sun shone through the balcony of treetops, illuminating the forest floor below in a beautiful display of wildlife and plants. Small creatures skittered around, intimidated by the new beings that had entered their environment. Plants seemed to shrink away slightly as they passed, as if they too were afraid.  
  
Colonel Jack O'Neill barely managed to avoid crushing a small animal beneath his booted foot, and had tilted his cap beak out of his line of sight. He cocked his head at the animal, which scurried away in terror, and O'Neill watched it go, turning his head to his second in command.  
  
She was looking up at the beautiful scenery above them, large leaves of luscious greens hung over their heads, and branches that were clearly homes to birds of some exotic variety. Major Samantha Carter wore the smile of an intrigued child, out in a new place for the first time, seeing everything anew with amazed curiousity.  
  
Striding just behind her was the large form of the Jaffa Teal'c, who simply eyed the creatures with a mild interest. His eyes moved around searchingly, as if he expected something to leap out at them and attack. His hand hovered near to his zat gun. The large alien had no need to worry... there had been no signs of any sort of advanced form of life on this planet... well, anything like humans or the Jaffa.  
  
Or the Kelownan.  
  
Jonas Quinn brought up the rear, a loose satchel hanging over his shoulder, his eyes following the slightest movement, his ears catching the smallest sound. He was amazed by this strange new place, and it showed. The young alien had not experienced such wonders as the rest of SG-1... and that showed too. He was smiling broadly, looking up at a branch as a wildly coloured bird landed softly in a tree. It cawed softly, and looked down watchfully at the four travellers.  
  
"Well, Carter," Jack began, taking a sip from his canteen, "so far all I've seen is bugs, furry... things, and birds."  
  
Carter came up to walk beside him, her golden hair shining in the stream of sunlight that filtered through the trees. "Yes, sir?"  
  
O'Neill rolled his eyes. How come no one ever understood his meanings? "So why are we here?"  
  
Jonas jogged up to them then, overtaking Teal'c, and taking great care not to trip on anything. He was sometimes slightly awkward... something that O'Neill wouldn't say was entirely his fault.  
  
"I think this is fascinating," the Kelownan noted, smiling at the happy figure of Sam, who nodded slowly.  
  
Why were they always in agreement, and ganging up on him?  
  
"How so?" Jack ventured to inquire, prepared for the overly thought- out explanation that would come from Jonas.  
  
"Well think about it," Jonas began, gesturing to his surroundings with his hand. "This whole planet is filled with new life that we've never even seen." He laughed quietly, looking down at a grumbling mammal of some kind. "We can take samples or something. There has to be some sort of civilisation in the area."  
  
Jack, once again, rolled his eyes, thankful for the low peak that shadowed them. "The MALP didn't show any signs of civilisation, Jonas."  
  
"But the MALP didn't venture out this far," Jonas told him with a pleading smile.  
  
The alien was after new information, as always, ready to grab hold of it, and memorise it thoroughly, as he normally did. The Kelownan had to have some sort of photographic memory to remember half the things he did manage to bring into everyday conversation; the weather; archaeology; nature; culture. There was always something new and exciting for him to take in.  
  
"Well maybe we've just managed to find a world where nothing has reached our level of intelligence," Jack said to him with a certain edge of sarcasm, looking back over his shoulder at the stalking Teal'c.  
  
The large Jaffa was watching something in the nearby tree line with interest.  
  
"I wouldn't say these creatures aren't intelligent, Colonel," Jonas corrected, hopping over a small log with surprising spryness.  
  
Jack raised an eyebrow. "Fine. I take it back. We're walking around in a forest of four-legged Einsteins."  
  
Carter smiled.  
  
Jonas frowned.  
  
Jack knew exactly what he was thinking. 'Why does he always have to be so sarcastic?'  
  
Everyone thought it from time to time, and always in reference to Colonel O'Neill.  
  
"I have to agree with Jonas," Sam said then, her hand rested on her P- 90. Her fingers hovered nowhere near the trigger however.  
  
Jack snapped his head in the direction of the woman, and he found himself suddenly unsurprised at the banding together of the 'Intelligent'.  
  
Jonas and Sam were always agreeing on things... as were Teal'c and O'Neill. It was your typical brain versus brawn competition, and everyone was a contender. They all had their own little roles, their own opinions, and their own plan.  
  
The thing was, they never all matched.  
  
That didn't make much difference to O'Neill. He usually had the last word. He was in charge.  
  
He smiled subtlely.  
  
"If you think about it, there's a hell of a lot here to analyse, sir. These alien creatures, for example, could provide us with answers to biological mysteries we've been scratching our heads over for years."  
  
"Jonas is an alien," Jack interrupted suddenly, pointing at the Kelownan for emphasis, "but you didn't insist on 'analysing' him when he showed up. What makes these guys any different?"  
  
Carter sighed. "That's not the same."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
Jonas had taken a slight offence to the Colonel's comment, and he showed it in his dark green eyes, the eyes that usually betrayed what the young man was feeling. "Because I can talk for one thing."  
  
"Well they can talk," O'Neill pointed out at the sound of a bird's cry, "we just can't understand them."  
  
"Colonel," Carter began in her annoyed tone.  
  
It was at this point that they realised the sound of the Jaffa's heavy footfall had ceased. They turned in unison to see the dark-skinned man standing stock still about ten feet back, his eyes fixed on a point in the shadowy trees to the side.  
  
"Teal'c?"  
  
The Jaffa did not respond, yet continued to stare.  
  
"Hey, big guy, what's up?" O'Neill called, walking up to his friend's side.  
  
Teal'c stirred from his trance, and looked the Colonel in the eye. "We were being observed, O'Neill."  
  
Carter and Jonas took interest, and moved toward them.  
  
"By what?" Jack queried, a small alarm ringing inside his head.  
  
Teal'c glanced over at the two other figures nearby, and said, "It was merely a creature. A reasonably large creature at that."  
  
"Did you get a good look at it?" Jonas wondered, tilting his head curiously. He scratched the back of his neck lightly, and looked over at the trees.  
  
"I did not. I simply sensed its eyes watching us," Teal'c told them.  
  
O'Neill shrugged. "Just some 'intelligent' life form intrigued by us bipeds I guess."  
  
Teal'c and O'Neill headed off again on their little trek, followed closely by Jonas and Carter, who were looking around in search of intrigued creatures.  
  
* * *  
  
It had taken them a half hour to reach the top of the reasonably steep hill, and now they were sitting in a small clearing, snacking on a small lunch of sorts. Ration packs had been dug out from their packs, and water canteens were laid beside the members of SG-1, who were beginning to feel the heat of the midday sun above... well, suns.  
  
Jonas chewed on a banana contently, and let his eyes wander around the little cleared section of the forest, which was striking him as the largest collection of trees he had ever seen. It seemed to stretch for miles around. They hadn't seen any signs of an exit from this place. Even the Stargate had been set up within the forest.  
  
The mention of a creature the size that Teal'c had explained was intriguing... merely because they had not seen any evidence of such an animal existing.  
  
He took a drink of water, and disposed of the banana peel in his bag, knowing that it would be a mistake later when he had to clean it out back at the SGC.  
  
"Don't you find it weird that none of us have seen any signs of the creature Teal'c told us about?" he ventured to say aloud after deliberating it for a while inside his head.  
  
Sam looked him in the eye, and shrugged. "Maybe it's nocturnal."  
  
"Aren't nocturnal things supposed to come out at night?" O'Neill noted, removing his cap, and shaking his head, pouring some of his water over his hair.  
  
"Indeed they are, O'Neill," Teal'c agreed.  
  
"Well," Sam began anew, "then maybe it's just scared. Frightened of the possibility of predators our size. You probably intimidated it the most, Teal'c. No offence, but you are rather..."  
  
"Shockingly large?" O'Neill offered, and looked to Teal'c in a 'no hard feelings' kind of way.  
  
"I see," Teal'c muttered, standing rigidly at the side of the clearing, his dark eyes taking in every small detail the forest offered.  
  
"You probably saw what has to be the top of the food chain then," Jonas pointed out, looking around curiously. "Every other animal I've seen is too small to pose any real threat. And they all seem to be herbivores. I haven't seen any signs of carnivorous activity since we've been here."  
  
"Maybe it lives in a big spooky cave," O'Neill teased.  
  
Jonas sighed, rubbing a hand over his eyes impatiently. "I haven't any caves either, Colonel. I'm just saying we should be careful. The creature Teal'c saw was probably just marking out its territory."  
  
"Nice," O'Neill whispered sarcastically, grimacing.  
  
"If we step into its territory, I don't see any reason why it wouldn't attack."  
  
"Maybe we just look appetising for the big fella," the Colonel said, standing. "But enough chit chat, hey, kids? Whadda ya' say we get this show on the road again? I want to be back at the Stargate for nightfall."  
  
Jonas sighed once again, and stood from his position on a rock, picking up his water canteen.  
  
Sam followed him, and said quietly to him, "Don't let him get to you. He's just cranky."  
  
"Yeah," Jonas agreed in an equal volume, "I noticed."  
  
* * *  
  
"It doesn't mean there was a civilisation here," Colonel O'Neill whined.  
  
Jonas and Carter were stood before a large... well, to be blunt, rock. It was a rock. It only had the two so intrigued because this particular rock was covered from head to toe in symbols of some kind.  
  
They looked like children's recess doodles... or cave drawings.  
  
To say the least, O'Neill couldn't care less.  
  
But he knew Jonas would want to take a good look at it... or try and decipher it.  
  
"If there isn't, or wasn't, some sort of civilisation here, then where did this come from, Colonel?" Jonas asked loudly, removing his notebook from his pack. He was looking at the drawings intently, lost in his own little world of discovery.  
  
O'Neill shrugged.  
  
"Jonas is right, sir. Something had to have existed with the means to create this... this, relic." Carter turned to face him, her own cap shielding her blue eyes from the sun that still shone through with intensity. She had put it on shortly after heading out after their lunch stop. It had seemed to get hotter along the way.  
  
"It's not necessarily a relic," O'Neill grumbled impatiently, eager to get back underway.  
  
Jonas turned then, having sensed the boredom in the Colonel's voice, and said, "Why don't you and Teal'c go on ahead? If you find anything, you can radio me, or vice versa. I'd like to stay here and try to translate this... if I can. You can pick me up on the way back."  
  
O'Neill sighed. "Fine. Carter, stay with Jonas."  
  
"Yes, sir," she acknowledged with a nod.  
  
Jonas smiled gratefully, and watched the two larger men pace off into the trees.  
  
* * *  
  
Jack walked ahead of Teal'c hearing his companion's footfalls on the less than evident path. If there had been an intelligent civilisation here, wouldn't there be a footpath through here or something? Something that led you far from tripping on roots, or animals.  
  
"O'Neill, should we not be turning back if we are to return to Earth by nightfall?" Teal'c queried in his own stoic way, coming up beside the Colonel.  
  
O'Neill turned his head to the Jaffa, and groaned, looking up at the sky. "Just a little while longer. To tell you the truth, Jonas is sorta driving me nuts lately. The longer I'm out of his way, the better. I don't wanna end up doing something I might regret."  
  
"I see," Teal'c added quietly, taking up his place behind O'Neill once again, and looking about their surroundings quizzically.  
  
Jack had no idea what it was about the Kelownan that was bugging him so much lately, but he figured it had something to with the fact that the alien was a lot smarter than he was... a hell of a lot smarter.  
  
In fact, Dr. Fraiser had unintentionally proved that fact by declaring that one of the traits that made Jonas so unique was his ability to absorb knowledge a lot faster and easier than the average human being.  
  
Great, so now I'm average, he thought to himself with a frown. He liked to think of himself as above average... but he supposed it wasn't up to him to decide who was and who wasn't.  
  
Glancing back at his friend and teammate, O'Neill strode on warily, the thought of some giant carnivore more than a little daunting.  
  
* * *  
  
Jonas touched a hand gently to the stone, and let out a deep breath of amazement. Whatever this was, it was fascinating. The Colonel could have been right... maybe it was just a big rock with some random markings on it. But, to Jonas, it seemed as though someone had been here to do it, someone with some level of intelligence.  
  
"How's it coming?" Sam asked, walking over from the edge of the small clearing, her P-90 swinging on its strap close to her body. She removed her cap, and let the slight breeze blow through her fluffy blonde hair.  
  
Jonas looked her in the eye, and smiled, a little bemused. "Well, if you mean 'have I translated anything yet', then no I haven't." He shrugged. "Maybe the Colonel was right."  
  
Sam sighed. "Just because he says something over and over, don't let him convince you that he's right. On the odd occasion, he is... but this isn't one of them. Trust me." She patted him on the shoulder. "You'll figure it out."  
  
He nodded thankfully, and glanced down to his book again, and then to his watch. His eyes turned skyward, seeing the close approach of dusk, making him say, "Teal'c and the Colonel will be back soon."  
  
Carter nodded in agreement, and then let her blue eyes wander to the side of the clearing. She raised her gun slightly, and without turning back, quietly said to Jonas, "Stay here."  
  
"What is it?" he asked, closing the book, after jotting down some notes, and taking a few quick sketches. He quickly deposited the book inside his satchel, and let his hand hover near his firearm.  
  
"Probably nothing," Sam mumbled, "but I thought I heard something."  
  
Feeling a little spooked all of a sudden, especially at the possibility of unexpected company, Jonas let his hand rest gently on the handle of his gun. He did not pull it from the holster, only waited at the ready as Sam moved off into the woods.  
  
He heard her slow movement within the trees, and looked on after her with a worried expression.  
  
* * *  
  
Sam Carter lowered her gun for a moment, clicking on her radio, and saying into it, "Colonel O'Neill, this is Major Carter, come in."  
  
There was a click, and a quick response, "This is O'Neill."  
  
"I think we have company here at the clearing," Sam continued, looking around. "But I can't find anything. I wasn't imagining it though, sir."  
  
"Alright, we're on our way back. Hold your position," O'Neill instructed.  
  
"Understood," she replied, "Carter out." She released the button on her radio, and moved to turn back, hearing a flutter from above.  
  
Raising her P-90, and looking up, she saw the bright bird skitter from the tree overhead.  
  
That was when she heard the cry from the clearing.  
  
She whirled instantly, gun at the ready.  
  
There it was again. She picked out the word help in amongst the panicked shouts, and the single gunshot.  
  
"Jonas!"  
  
She started back for the clearing at a dead run, jumping agilely over fallen branches and exposed roots, her heart racing in her chest.  
  
"Jonas!" she called again, receiving no response.  
  
She skidded into the clearing shortly after that, and her breath came in ragged bursts, even as she looked around wildly, her eyes scanning for her friend. There was no sign.  
  
Well... almost.  
  
It was then that Colonel O'Neill and Teal'c burst through the nearby tree line, startling the Major.  
  
"We heard a shot," O'Neill explained.  
  
Carter moved over to the place where she had left Jonas, and crouched down.  
  
"Where's Jonas?" O'Neill asked, panting a little as he crossed the distance to stand over her, looking down on her from beneath his peaked cap.  
  
She rubbed her damp fingers together, spreading the scarlet blood. She let her head hang.  
  
"He's gone, sir." 


	2. Chapter 2

Samantha Carter stood from her crouched position, her eyes darting around the small clearing, and finally settling upon the large stone next to her. She swallowed dryly, her hand shaking slightly.  
  
If I hadn't told him to stay behind, she thought, her troubled mind aching more than she had felt in a while. She placed her cap firmly on her head, and faced her commanding officer.  
  
"What happened, Carter?"  
  
She saw his mouth move, but did not register the words, her mind having problems picking up the syllables, and processing them.  
  
"Carter," he said louder, "what happened?" His eyes were locked with hers, and his face was grave. He understood what was going on, he just wanted a reason for all of it. He always did.  
  
She fumbled over her words for a bit, looking down shamefully at her P-90, and then replied, "I heard a noise in the trees, and after hearing about what Teal'c saw..." she hesitated, casting her mind back to those few moments, and continued, "I told Jonas to stay here. He had a gun... I thought he'd be okay. But then I heard him crying out for help, and a gunshot. When I got back, he was gone, sir."  
  
"Dammit!" O'Neill hissed, and kicked up some of the dirt from below his foot. His brown eyes darted to Teal'c, who was annoyingly stoic as usual. The dark face was as if set in stone.  
  
"Sir, what should we do?" Carter asked, awaiting her orders. In situations like this, she usually awaited the Colonel's instructions. Her mind often went blank... especially when it was her friend involved. When her father was in danger, it was always the same heart-aching terror. This was no different.  
  
Jonas was a good friend, and if nothing else, she was determined to find him again. She was sure the others felt the same way.  
  
"Alright," O'Neill began, "alright, we'll head back to the Stargate, and contact Hammond. We'll explain our situation, and then start a search."  
  
Teal'c gave a solitary nod, and Carter swallowed again, giving her reply with her gaze.  
  
Looking around for signs of the Kelownan, the three set off for the Stargate.  
  
* * *  
  
"Needless to say, General, we won't be getting back to Earth for bedtime."  
  
Though they could not see General Hammond, they could imagine the puzzled look on his face. They had only just managed to contact the General, and this was the second sentence O'Neill had decided to come up with, after saying 'We got a problem, sir'.  
  
"What do you mean, Colonel?" General Hammond asked through the little speaker on the MALP.  
  
O'Neill crossed his arms tightly over his chest, and felt his eyes looking around, searching for the signs of a creature he himself had not seen, but had heard enough of to believe in.  
  
"General, we've lost Jonas." The easiest way to explain something was to just come out and say it... that was O'Neill's policy. He didn't know why everyone bothered with the technical mumbo-jumbo.  
  
There was a moment of silence.  
  
"How exactly did you manage to lose Mister Quinn?" The tone in General Hammond's voice was enough to clearly illustrate his bafflement.  
  
"Sir, from what we can figure out, he's been taken by some sort of creature here in the forest," Carter explained, jumping in before O'Neill could continue his report.  
  
"What kind of creature?" Hammond inquired. "Was it an Unas?"  
  
"No, sir, it was not an Unas," O'Neill replied bluntly, staring at the floor, his words clear and crisp. He wanted to avoid confusion as much as possible.  
  
"Then what are we dealing with here, people?"  
  
Teal'c took it upon himself to step forward then, and speak, "General Hammond, when in the forest some hours ago, I caught sight of what seemed to be a large carnivorous animal. We suspect it is the same creature that has abducted Jonas Quinn."  
  
"Have you found any signs that he's still alive, Colonel?" Hammond asked then.  
  
Carter hung her head.  
  
"No, sir, we haven't," O'Neill responded, and then added, "but we're gonna search for him anyway. We're not leaving him behind."  
  
"Understood, Colonel, report back as soon as you find anything," Hammond said, and cut the connection.  
  
The Stargate closed, and O'Neill and his two team members turned from the device, walking back into the trees.  
  
"Alright, here's the plan of action," O'Neill began, voice loud enough to be heard for a short distance, "we stick together. No one goes off on their own, is that understood?"  
  
"Yes, sir."  
  
"I understand, O'Neill."  
  
"Good. We look for any sign... and I mean any sign of Jonas, and evidence to support he's still alive. I'm not giving up on him yet, and I hope neither of you are either." He did not look back on either of them, just because he knew they were agreeing with him with silent nods. "He's got to be around here somewhere... it's just a matter of. finding him."  
  
* * *  
  
"Colonel! Colonel, over here!"  
  
Jack heard the shout from a few feet away, and turned his head to see Carter kneeling over something, waving a hand at him. She resorted to removing her cap, and swinging it from side to side in the air to get their attention.  
  
Teal'c and O'Neill were standing some twenty feet away, investigating some sort of remains. It had turned out to be nothing useful in the end... simply a bird that had died of natural causes, whatever those natural causes were.  
  
O'Neill jogged over to where Carter was knelt, and waited for her news.  
  
"Sir, look at this," she said, pointing at a black object lying on the ground.  
  
O'Neill narrowed his eyes, and sighed as he realised what it was.  
  
A gun.  
  
"Sir, it has to be Jonas'."  
  
He looked down at Carter, and said, "I know that, Major."  
  
"Well at least we're going in the right direction, sir," Carter pointed out, picking up the gun, and standing.  
  
"So, we just keep searching," O'Neill sighed, feeling a sinking feeling creep up on him. He would not allow himself to succumb to it though, and pushed it right back down where it had been hiding since all this had began.  
  
"I will lead the way, O'Neill," Teal'c volunteered.  
  
O'Neill nodded, and blinked away the feeling of exhaustion that took the place of the sinking fear. He rubbed his eyes, and glanced skyward. It was close to night now, and the sun had taken refuge in the heavy clouds that had rolled in.  
  
It looked like it was going to rain.  
  
* * *  
  
Feeling dizzy and light-headed, he forced his eyes to open, wincing at the burning in his leg. He remembered feeling the sharp claws... or teeth tear into his leg, and then getting knocked to the ground with enough force to knock the wind out of him. The shot he had fired had been wide, missing the huge animal by about two feet.  
  
Groaning, he realised he was unable to move, and even in the almost complete darkness, he glanced down at himself. Some sort of thick, sticky substance covered most of his legs and lower body, restricting pretty much all of his movement. One of his arms was mostly free, but it pained him to move... though he was unsure why. His chest was partially coated, long strips of whatever it was stretching over him, keeping him firmly secured to the wall.  
  
He knew his feet weren't even touching the floor, that was for certain. He was a lot taller than he remembered being about... how long had he been out?  
  
As he moved his head, he felt the cold of the substance touching his neck, and even the side of his head, mingling with something warm, and equally damp. He suddenly remembered why he was feeling so light-headed.  
  
The creature had given him quite a nasty blow to the head, knocking him out, before obviously dragging him here... wherever here was.  
  
Jonas pulled against the substance, using all of his strength in his failing attempts, only succeeding in exhausting himself.  
  
Looking down at his jacket, he caught sight of his only remaining piece of equipment. His radio, still in its little pouch.  
  
Without moving his arms though, it was practically useless. He was unable to reach it.  
  
As he continued to struggle futilely against whatever it was locking him to the wall, he recalled the Colonel's mocking words about the predator living in a cave. Well, it turned out, just as Carter had said, the Colonel was right this time. Sam had said the Colonel could once in a while get something right. Did it have to be this time though?  
  
Taking a deep breath against the hurt it caused him to move, Jonas took a chance in calling out, "Hello?"  
  
When he received no response, he settled for just yelling for help over and over, before he basically collapsed back against the wall, his body feeling drained.  
  
He felt weak, his energy gone entirely. He had no strength left, and decided that remaining still for a while would be a good idea. That would give him time to think about his problem.  
  
That was when he caught sight of movement. Over in the far corner of the cave, something was shifting, seemingly writhing.  
  
Then he realised just what was going on. It was a sack of some kind, and it was opening, a sharp claw penetrating the same substance that covered him now.  
  
Jonas felt a wash of panic then, and held his breath without thinking about it.  
  
He saw a limb stretch out from behind the sack wall, and then another, before a shadowy head emerged. A low grumble of a growl was heard, just as the rest of the body became visible.  
  
Standing on four legs, it reached at least four feet. Its long legs bent in much the same way as a carnivorous predator on Earth, and its head seemed too long and thin for its body. It was thin, much longer than it was wide, and seemed to be covered in small hairs, its coat nowhere near thick enough to keep its mass warm.  
  
Maybe that was what the sack was for. Maybe it was some sort of hibernation chamber.  
  
Or not, he thought, even as the creature began to pad on huge feet over to him, its yellow eyes not leaving his. It growled, revealing teeth, sharp and numerous.  
  
To his surprise, as it came to a stop before him, it reared up slightly on its hind legs, and hovered, glaring him right in the eye. Its forelegs hung before it, bent at the elbow, but not in any position to be conceived as dangerous.  
  
With a twitch of its short ears, it blinked, and cocked its head at him.  
  
A sort of guttural noise emanated from it then, and Jonas, even through the exhaustion, was intrigued.  
  
Had that been a word?  
  
* * *  
  
Sam knocked a branch aside as they walked, growing impatient with the amount of foliage that seemed to want to deny them entry into the thicker, deeper, and frankly, darker parts of the seemingly never-endless forest.  
  
She was soaked from head to toe, the thick trees and bushes provided a surprisingly little amount of shelter from the rain that decided to fall heavily from the heavens shortly after they had located Jonas' dropped handgun.  
  
I hope he's dry, wherever he is, she found herself thinking hopefully, clinging desperately to the belief that the Kelownan was still alive. She wasn't the biggest optimist in the galaxy, but she had her moments.  
  
"Alright, kids," Colonel O'Neill began tiredly, "we're not going to do anyone any good if we drop down from exhaustion. Time to find some shelter for the night."  
  
"It would appear that the only shelter is provided in the forms of trees and bushes, O'Neill," Teal'c provided helpfully, stopping in a small clearing roughly ten feet in diameter.  
  
"Thank you for that," O'Neill grumbled, rather irritably. The late hours were catching up on him, and when Sam glanced at her watch, she recognised the hour as close on ten. Had they really been walking that long? Where had all the hours gone? She hadn't even noticed the darkness that had enveloped them sneakily over the short period of time.  
  
"Alright, we make camp right here," O'Neill told them, gripping his P- 90, "and I take first watch."  
  
"No, O'Neill, I should be the one to watch over the campsite first," Teal'c protested calmly, regarding his commanding officer insistently.  
  
"Why's that?"  
  
"Because, as you said, O'Neill, we will not do anyone any good if we are unconscious. I am able to remain awake for a great number of hours without rest. This makes me a good choice to take watch."  
  
"Fine," O'Neill mumbled, too exhausted to argue.  
  
Sam would have smiled if they hadn't been searching for a lost teammate.  
  
A wounded lost teammate.  
  
* * *  
  
Life.  
  
That was what it had said to him. Life. But why? And how? Surely it hadn't evolved enough to form words coherently. True, Jonas had struggled to make out the single word in all the guttural growling and grumbling, but that was what the creature had said to him.  
  
He had tried another three times to break free of the bonds that held him firmly, and extremely effectively to the wall, without much success at all. Apart from, once again, succumbing to complete and utter exhaustion.  
  
Jonas let his head thud against the back wall, grumbling in annoyance to himself afterwards at the throbbing that started as a result, and sighed loudly.  
  
Why am I always the one who gets in trouble?  
  
Maybe it had always been this way... perhaps Dr. Jackson had always been the one to fall victim to the annoyingly dangerous threat or trap.  
  
He groaned, and shook his head, feeling the dizziness and nausea return rather suddenly.  
  
Succeeding in holding it back, he let out a slow breath, and clenched his uncovered fist. It was his right hand, the left having been completely covered over by the restricting substance that covered most of the wall around him.  
  
Jonas had managed to pick out other shapes in the dark corners of the cave, and frankly, the result of identification had frightened him understandably. Skeletons littered the walls, covered in thinning and stringy versions of the substance that was all over him now.  
  
As his mind wandered, he could feel the cold of it touching his skin beneath his clothing, and he found himself puzzling over how it could have penetrated the thick vest, jacket and T-shirt. The only thing that felt reasonably normal were his feet, the skin of the boots to thick for the substance to penetrate.  
  
As his eyes became heavier, he tried one last desperate, and rather weak call for help.  
  
Hearing nothing but the soft falling of rain in response, he allowed himself to pass into comforting darkness. 


	3. Chapter 3

Hearing the soft twittering of birds, she opened her eyes, amazed that she had been able to achieve sleep at all. Her mind had been racing all night, until she had remembered nothing further than O'Neill's constant ranting about how he hated it when people wandered off.  
  
But she had been the one to wander off... not the 'civilian', who the Colonel usually liked to blame for their own abduction, or whatever danger they had managed to get themselves into.  
  
Teal'c was already awake, and Sam supposed he had been all night. The Jaffa very rarely rested when a member of their team went missing under such mysterious circumstances. Like when Daniel had been taken by Chaka the Unas... but that was different. There hadn't been evidence of Daniel having an injury... unlike Jonas.  
  
She still blamed herself, but as she pulled herself out from her sleeping bag, she looked over at the slumbering O'Neill, and realised how he would say that no one was really to blame. He was snoring lightly, and seemed to be in quite a peaceful state of rest.  
  
Tapping him on the shoulder, Sam muttered, "Colonel?"  
  
He was awake immediately, although he opened his eyes slowly, squinting in the light that shone through the trees.  
  
"We should continue our search, O'Neill," Teal'c stated matter-of- factly.  
  
O'Neill groaned, and sat up, soon scrambling to his feet, and recovering his head with his fallen hat. It had become dislodged during his sleep, sometime during his shifting and rolling over and over in his sleeping bag. He had a tough time of retracting his legs from the sack, almost stumbling in the process.  
  
"You're right," he agreed, and started rolling up his sleeping bag, and shoving it haphazardly into his pack. He seemed to have very little patience with the equipment this morning, and Sam knew this to be regular agitated behaviour for the Colonel in the face of such dire circumstances.  
  
The Major looked to her watch, uncovering it, and saw it was close to seven in the morning. They had overslept, and should have restarted their search at about five to get a good deal of travelling in during the day. Who knew how such time wasting would affect the situation?  
  
"Did you see anything during the night?" O'Neill asked of the Jaffa.  
  
He shook his dark head, and replied, "I did not. I observed many nocturnal creatures watching us in the darkness, O'Neill, but nothing of the sheer size which I saw yesterday."  
  
"Right," O'Neill mumbled, and hoisted his pack onto his shoulders, feeling the weight before leading the other two out of the clearing, and in a direction they had figured out last night. The trail they seemed to be following suggested they go this way.  
  
As she followed at the back of the line, holding her P-90 securely, Carter let her eyes wander, and her mind also. She heard that same cry for help, and recalled that same feeling of anxiety at returning to the empty site where she had left Jonas no more than two minutes prior to his disappearance.  
  
With a sigh, she let her head hang in guilt.  
  
* * *  
  
Leading the way, Jack knew without looking back that Carter was wearing a look of utter misery. He knew she blamed herself, and he knew that was useless, and unfounded. It wasn't her fault. How could it be? She had heard a noise that she had perceived to be threatening, and had moved off to investigate, as any soldier would have.  
  
But this was different, and he knew that she realised that. Jonas hadn't had much in the way of protection, and in all truth, the Kelownan didn't really know much about defending himself against attack, especially if -as Jack supposed- it had come from behind, unexpected and sudden. That would have explained the random gunshot he had heard.  
  
Jack heard the crunch of foliage underfoot as Teal'c's boots crushed them whilst he moved, the Jaffa's concentration on their surroundings.  
  
"Alright, fan out a little, look for any sign of Jonas," Jack ordered the remainder of his team. He heard their mumbled acknowledgements, and saw them move off to a safe distance, far enough to cover quite some distance, but not far enough so that they wouldn't be able to leap into action if one of them was taken by surprise.  
  
Hopefully, the predator wouldn't think of attacking one of them whilst they were all within such close proximity of each other.  
  
Jack let his feet kick up some leaves and branches as he moved slowly, his eyes considering every small detail that covered the ground, until something rather alien to the environment caught his attention.  
  
Looking over at the other two, he bent his knees to crouch, and wiped his hand over the fallen object. Picking it up, he sighed. He recognised it instantly, and blew off the remainder of the damp soil that clung to the exterior of the water canteen.  
  
"Have you discovered something, O'Neill?" came the call of Teal'c voice from not too far away.  
  
"You could say that," Jack heard himself mutter in response, as his eyes travelled along the obvious site where someone, or something had been dragged. And then his vision rested upon a larger object that he should have seen first. Standing, he tread carefully over the dirt, and flipped the large object over with his booted foot. He took his hat off his head, and took a hold of the strap of Jonas' shoulder pack, lifting it off the ground, seeing mud and leaves fall off of it gradually as he turned it in the light. There was no visible damage other than the obvious marring of its surface from foliage and damp soil. It was probably a little damp inside too.  
  
"Sir?"  
  
He felt Carter's presence as she arrived at his side, even as he carefully opened the satchel, and peered inside. Everything was still inside, despite the obvious violent way in which Jonas had been initially attacked. Jack would have thought at least one or two items would have been lost along the way.  
  
"Is that what I think it is?" came Carter's inquiry, and her voice was soft, and hinted at with concern.  
  
Jack nodded with a deep sigh. "Yeah. On the plus side, I think I've found a definite trail for us to follow." He pointed with his hat, flipping it back onto his head, pulling it down so that the peak shaded his eyes from the sun above. Before setting off again, he placed the strap of the satchel over his head, sliding the water canteen inside.  
  
* * *  
  
Forcing his eyes to open, using a great amount of his waning strength in doing so, Jonas found that he could barely move his head anymore. He felt the cold of the bonding substance over the back of his head now, and almost completely over the entirety of his neck. Some of it was even stretching on to the side of his head. It was difficult to move at all.  
  
Without looking down, he could feel the presence of more of the substance covering a lot more of his body now as well. It was growing, whatever it was, and Jonas surmised that it wouldn't be long before it covered him completely. He had to get out of here.  
  
Understatement of the month, he told himself, clenching his right fist, amazed that it was still mostly uncovered. Part of his right leg was also free, but moving it proved to be too painful, and he recalled the injury he had sustained there.  
  
Letting his eyes wander, he saw a stream of light from the far corner of the cave, where he now noticed a tunnel connected with the cavern. He could clearly see the interior of the cave now, and he swallowed dryly at what he saw. The skeletons were all too frequently dotted around the walls, and the same white substance was stretched over all of them, the same kind that covered him now. Not comforting.  
  
The creature was gone now, and he found this slightly reassuring. Perhaps it would be gone long enough for him to figure out a way to free himself.  
  
But as he attempted to move again, he realised just how futile that would be, and just how much of an opportunity this really wasn't. He knew that further attempts to move would only result in obvious exhaustion again... he just didn't know why.  
  
* * *  
  
"We can't be too far away," O'Neill noted as he led the way along the trail of where someone had obviously been dragged rather forcefully.  
  
Sam Carter just hoped her commanding officer was right. He had found the trail about a half hour ago, and she had seen evidence of animal prints since then, along the same trail. Every now and then, she saw a worrying darkening of the soil, and she knew precisely what that darkening was. She just didn't want to say it to herself, or to anyone else for that matter.  
  
"I think you're right, sir," she said to him, hovering some five feet behind him, having switched positions with Teal'c after the discovery of Jonas' dropped satchel. He had surmised that being at the back was safer for him, after all, he was a Jaffa.  
  
"What do you think, Teal'c?" O'Neill called to the large man.  
  
"I am in agreement, O'Neill," Teal'c responded simply, not speaking again.  
  
Carter sighed, and found her eyes looking around. Furrowing her brow, she stated, "Does anyone else notice how the trees have gotten progressively thinner along this trail?"  
  
O'Neill stopped, and looked around for himself, frowning. "Now that you mention it..." his voice trailed off into silent consideration, until finally, he added, "what happened to the birds?"  
  
Carter tilted her head to listen, finding that there was nothing but silence for her ears to pick out in the woodland surroundings. "They're gone," she noted aloud, "come to mention it, I can't hear anything. No mammals... nothing."  
  
"I concur," Teal'c murmured pensively, glancing about. "We are indeed close to the predator's lair, O'Neill. Clearly, it is a place where no other animal wishes to be close to."  
  
"Yeah," Carter mumbled, nodding. O'Neill muttered something under his breath, and with a sigh, continued along the trail.  
  
Staring up at the trees, Carter felt her eyes drawn to a shadow just up a long winding path to a hill that she could see just in the distance. "Colonel..."  
  
He turned to her, looking a little impatient all of a sudden. "What?"  
  
She pointed, pulling out her small pair of binoculars, and putting them to her eyes.  
  
"What is that?" she heard him ask in confusion.  
  
Narrowing her eyes in thought, she brought the binoculars down, and met the gaze of the Colonel, saying, "I think it's a cave, sir."  
  
Shaking his head, and turning to look for himself, O'Neill said quietly, "I told Jonas that thing probably lived in a cave."  
  
Carter rolled her eyes, and took another glance through the binoculars before she confirmed that it was indeed what she thought it was, a cave. Everything suggested that was what it was. There was an obvious jutting of rock from the hillside, and a trail that led into it. A few bushed were scattered about the shadowy opening.  
  
"Okay, kids, that's our target," O'Neill concluded, replacing his equipment into his vest, Carter following suit.  
  
"How can you be certain that this is where Jonas Quinn was taken, O'Neill?"  
  
O'Neill looked back at Teal'c shortly before he headed off at a swift pace, taking a firm grip on his gun. "Call it an instinct."  
  
* * *  
  
It had come back. Not long ago, he had seen its shadowy form slink back into the cavern, and stride up on four legs to the other side of the wall, where it started to sniff at the skeletons that resided there.  
  
Jonas had picked out another word, even through the haze of nausea that had a tight hold of him.  
  
Death.  
  
It had glared with yellow eyes at him when muttering bestially to itself, and Jonas knew what it had meant from its single audible word. That stare had told him the same thing too. He didn't need to be a zoologist to figure it out.  
  
It wanted to kill him.  
  
But he just didn't understand why. He hadn't seen it eat a single thing whilst he had been here, and if he was intended to be the next meal, then why was it waiting? What was the delay?  
  
There was still the mystery of all the remains littering the walls as well. He hadn't been able to pick out any evidence of gnawing or shredding on the substance, suggesting that they had simply been left to die on that wall.  
  
It didn't make any sense. None of it did. It was obviously a carnivore... Jonas had figured that much out from the teeth and claws, and the way it growled menacingly. No herbivore acted or looked that way.  
  
At least not that he knew of.  
  
His entire body felt cold, even through all the layers of clothing he knew he was wearing. But he felt the substance touching against his skin, suggesting penetration at some point. It hurt to move, probably as a result of hours on end being stuck to the wall.  
  
He didn't know what else it could be.  
  
He wondered what had happened to the others, and he thought for one terrible moment that they might have left him behind, thinking him dead.  
  
No, he told himself sternly, they wouldn't do that. O'Neill doesn't leave anyone behind.  
  
But what was taking them so long?  
  
They have no idea where I am, he resolved, and he felt a sigh escape him then. How where they going to find him? He didn't know where he was.  
  
He knew one thing though... time was running out. 


	4. Chapter 4

He had resorted to jogging some two or three minutes ago at the start of the hill, which, when close up, was a lot larger than first imagined from such a distance. Jack O'Neill felt his boots slip every now and then, and he heard the tumbling of pebbles from underfoot as they scuttled down the path behind him.  
  
Glancing back, clutching his P-90 readily, he saw the two others close behind, easily keeping pace with him.  
  
Pushing himself harder, he pulled with his free hand at large jutting rocks and branches that protruded from the rock face, using them to ease his climb. What kind of predator lived all the way up such a problematic hill anyway? It hadn't seemed so large from far away.  
  
Quit thinking, and get a move on, he ordered himself, nodding sharply, and jumped over a small rock.  
  
They were going in the right direction. The prints of the animal were evident even all the way up here. It was a miracle that the rain hadn't washed them away. Plus, every here and there, he could see drops of blood on the ground.  
  
Realising that the end of their trek was close at hand, O'Neill held up a hand, raising his weapon at the ready, and progressing at a slower and steadier pace, each tread careful and soft.  
  
He could barely hear the others behind him, but he knew they were there. He had worked with them for so long he could sense their presence now; he knew when they were there, and when they weren't.  
  
Waving a hand, he called the Jaffa forward, seeing the large form of Teal'c head up the remainder of the hill alone, until he stopped, zat armed and prepared. His dark eyes shifted to O'Neill, and he nodded once.  
  
Jack pushed up the hill, and poked his P-90 around the mouth of the cave, seeing with the aid of the small flashlight that there was a long tunnel opened up before them, stretching off into shadow and gloom. He narrowed his eyes, and listened for sounds of anything inside. Nothing.  
  
"Teal'c, take point," he mumbled, and watched his friend move off to take the lead down into the darkness.  
  
Jack followed, the light from his weapon shining in a beam down the tunnel, making Teal'c's job a lot easier. The Jaffa could see quite well in these conditions anyway, but the Colonel figured that Teal'c would have a better chance of taking down any potential hostiles if he could see clearer.  
  
Carter brought up the rear, her delicate steps heard slightly in the silence of the cave. Jack knew his second in command was no doubt calm, and yet quite anxious. They would soon find out just whether or not her guilt was well founded.  
  
* * *  
  
Peering over her shoulder, she saw the light of the opening retreating fast, their progress into the cave quick and steady. They were motivated, and Sam knew that Colonel O'Neill was heading for his target fast. Nothing would stand in his way.  
  
Her eyes drifted cautiously around the interior of the tunnel, and she saw no evidence of life, no grasses, no moss, and no droppings. Whatever lived in here was extremely neat... for an animal.  
  
Hearing the hushed whisper of O'Neill, Carter's eyes snapped forward, and she felt her body tense up in preparation. There was an evident opening ahead, leading into some sort of larger cavernous cave, and she watched as the two men entered it carefully. They aimed their weapons left and right, and then waved Carter forward.  
  
She followed quickly, flicking her gun behind her in case something had trailed in after them, and then back to O'Neill and Teal'c.  
  
"See anything?" O'Neill said to Teal'c quietly in a hushed voice.  
  
"Nothing," Teal'c responded, "other than the remains." A large hand indicated dozens of skeletons littering the walls, and he and O'Neill moved off to take a closer look, all the while alert and ready to defend theirselves if need be.  
  
Carter stood watch, her eyes drifting around in disgust at the state of the cave. What looked to be similar to a spider's web, but much more durable, stretched around the walls in long strips, covering the remains partially. Some of it hung, worn, from the bones.  
  
Over in the corner, she spotted a large sack, and she couldn't fight the urge to investigate. Moving over, constantly aware of her position in relation to the rest of SG-1, she halted at the opening to the sack, and shone her light inside.  
  
It was damp, strips of the mucus-like substance hanging motionless from the opening and from inside. She lowered herself to peer closer, and grimaced at the smell. It stank, as though something had died inside quite some time ago. Furrowing her brow, she shone her light closer, and quickly stood. There was blood in there.  
  
Retrieving a sample container, she managed to break off a small area of the wall, and placed it inside, wiping her sticky hand on her pant's leg afterwards, and placing the container in her vest, standing in the process.  
  
She turned, her interest no longer held by the sack, and shone her light around the rest of the cave, surprised when she saw it reflect against something on the opposite wall.  
  
Curious, she walked over, her steps silent against the muddy ground below, and tilted her head at the presence of a large area of the wall covered by the white substance. She followed the beam of her light to where it had reflected, and saw just what had glinted.  
  
She lowered her weapon, and looked again, confirming her suspicions. A ring... one she had seen before on many occassions.  
  
"Oh my god," she muttered under her breath, seeing the hand, and the edge of a green cuff. Her eyes darted over the extensive area covered by the substance, until she realised she needed more light. She pulled out her small flashlight, and flicked it on, her eyes going wide.  
  
"Jonas..."  
  
She stretched out a hand to touch his cheek, and was shocked to find how cold his skin was in comparison to her own. She didn't know why she hadn't seen him earlier, but she supposed it was because most of his body was completely covered by the substance.  
  
"Sir!" she called, hooking her light on her vest, and yanking out her knife, her other hand trying to find a pulse on Jonas.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Get over here!" she called urgently, and carefully tried to cut some of the substance away, cursing when the blade failed to do anything.  
  
She heard their footsteps as they approached, and then the shocked mumble of the Colonel as he obviously saw what had her so preoccupied.  
  
"We've got to get him out of the wall," she told them, trying to pry the blade of her knife under another part of the restraining substance. Failing again, she resisted the urge to curse loudly, and whirled to O'Neill. "Sir, I can barely feel a pulse, and he's breathing so shallow I couldn't even tell whether he was actually breathing or not. He's as cold as ice."  
  
"Where you unsuccessful in your attempts to cut the restraints, Major Carter?"  
  
She looked to Teal'c, and nodded frantically, turning back to Jonas, and tried to directly ram the knife in. To her surprise, the blade sank partially into the white exterior, but not enough to truly matter.  
  
"Dammit," she muttered impatiently, and resorted to trying to pry it off with her fingers.  
  
"Carter," O'Neill began.  
  
She pulled her hand away, her fingers cold at the tips, and shook them. Her eyes snapped to O'Neill. "Colonel, do you have a lighter?"  
  
"What? No, I quit," he said earnestly, and shook his head, looking over the form of the Kelownan in puzzlement.  
  
Carter fumbled for a moment, before, glancing back at Jonas, said, "What about a flare?"  
  
O'Neill cocked his head. "What for?"  
  
"Sir," she began quickly, "this mucus, or whatever it is, is ice cold. And ice melts in direct heat, especially if put into contact with extreme heat, like fire. If I can get the blade of my knife hot enough, I might be able to cut this away from Jonas."  
  
O'Neill searched around in his vest pouches, before retrieving a long stick, and presenting it to Carter.  
  
She struck the end of it, and shook her head. I hope this works, she thought. Light and heat exploded from the end of the flare, and she carefully held the end of her knife to the sparks. She felt a couple land on her hand, and stifled a hiss of pain from the burning sensation.  
  
After a while, she threw the flare at the ground near to the wall, just below where Jonas' feet dangled.  
  
She set the knife against the substance, and smiled triumphantly when she felt the resistance give, and the blade start to cut through it a little easier... in fact, a lot easier. The closer to the inside she got, the easier it got.  
  
Within no time at all, Jonas' entire right arm was exposed, and hanging from the wall... a little too limply for Carter's liking.  
  
O'Neill had taken to heating his own knife, and was starting on the other side, cutting quickly but carefully at the substance to free the unconscious Jonas.  
  
Teal'c kept watch a little way back, zat gun at the ready, armed and aimed at the tunnel's entrance. If the creature returned, it probably wouldn't be too happy to see intruders in its home.  
  
Carter cut away at the substance cautiously, but with urgency, careful not to catch Jonas with the blade of her knife. The weapon was proving to be quite effective when heated, and she soon felt another part give way. She crouched to start work on his right leg, pausing, seeing the dark patch on his leg.  
  
"Colonel, I've found a wound," she reported, cutting carefully around his leg, tugging at a heated area to quicken the process, feeling it give way in her hand. She threw it to the floor afterwards.  
  
"How bad is it?"  
  
"Not too bad, but from the looks of it, it's been bleeding quite a lot, with no pressure on it. I'd say he needs medical attention quite fast, sir," Carter explained, freeing the rest of the right leg, seeing O'Neill begin on the left.  
  
Carter stood to her full height, and frowned at the substance covering the back and side of Jonas' head, only partially on his face. She would have to be extremely delicate in her work if she didn't want to do more harm than had already been done.  
  
She picked up the flare again, and reheated the blade, having felt it cool off. Throwing the flare back to the ground, careful not to hit O'Neill, she started to pry the substance away from Jonas' head.  
  
The only thing left to cut free after this was his chest.  
  
Peeling the last piece of restraining material away, she sighed.  
  
"He's bleeding, Colonel."  
  
"Where?"  
  
"Head. It doesn't look too bad, but he might have a concussion."  
  
Colonel O'Neill let out a sigh, and pried his knife into the side of the thick matter at the edge of Jonas' chest, and said, "He really needs to be more careful."  
  
Carter copied her commanding officer's actions, and the two simultaneously cut into the mass over the Kelownan's chest. She felt it give almost instantly, no longer able to hold Jonas' weight.  
  
"Teal'c!" O'Neill called.  
  
The Jaffa turned instantly, releasing his zat to the ground, and caught Jonas as he fell free of the wall, holding him over the shoulders, gripping the Kelownan carefully by the legs, and his right arm so he knew he would not drop him along the way.  
  
"Alright, let's get outta here," O'Neill announced, retrieving Teal'c's dropped zat, and heading out of the cavern, P-90 at the ready, aimed straight ahead.  
  
Carter brought up the rear, her eyes resting on Jonas, her mind filled with concern. Had they taken too long? She hoped not... her thoughts told her that they should have been here sooner, that he might die. He was so cold and pale, and where the substance had been, he was clearly damp, as though on the inside the mass had been moist for some reason.  
  
She didn't have time to think about that now. They had to concentrate on getting Jonas back to Earth and to the infirmary.  
  
Their trek back down the hill was quicker than it had been going up, and Teal'c tread carefully to avoid slipping, with the extra burden of Jonas across his shoulders.  
  
Reaching the bottom of the hill, they had continued even faster through the thin woods, and had soon reached the thicker, denser cover of the larger trees. Birds and mammals came into earshot and sight, and Sam found their presence slightly comforting. They watched the procession with curiousity and intrigue.  
  
It was when they reached the clearing that Colonel O'Neill suddenly stopped, raising his weapon defensively.  
  
Teal'c halted, and Carter was forced to peek around the large man to see what was going on.  
  
What awaited her eyes was slightly shocking, and she felt her muscles tense at the sight of the huge animal. Its monstrous fangs were bared threateningly, and its eyes glinted in the light, glaring up at Teal'c, flickering to the prone figure across his back. A long tail swayed angrily from side to side, and a low grumble of a growl emerged from deep in its throat. The fur stuck up all over its gigantic frame, its long legs prickly with spiky hair, sharp claws gouging up the dirt below its paws.  
  
As Sam stared at the animal, realising that her long eye contact could be perceived as a threat, she noticed that the large paws were roughly as big as Teal'c's hands. That in itself was impressive, and dangerous. Anything as bestial as this creature with proportions relative to the Jaffa was a definite threat to SG-1.  
  
O'Neill let off a shot into the air, warning the creature to move back and away, but the animal did not falter. Its eyes turned in the Colonel's direction, and they narrowed, and a louder growl emerged from its maw, the teeth parting in an exchanging of threat with the commanding officer.  
  
Suddenly, it snapped its jaws at the Colonel, the teeth slamming shut roughly a centimetre or two from the man's leg. He jumped back, and shot a single bullet into one of the animal's hind legs.  
  
It let out a small yelp, but did not desist in its threatening actions.  
  
"Teal'c, I could use a hand here," O'Neill said slowly and definitely.  
  
The Jaffa nodded, and lay Jonas down on the ground gently near to Sam. The Major moved to the Kelownan's side, and prepared herself in case the animal should make a move for the injured party. She was ready to put herself in the line of danger to protect her friend. She raised her P-90, and aimed it at the animal's chest.  
  
Jonas stirred on the ground, and his right hand moved slightly, his body shivering.  
  
Sam laid a hand on his shoulder soothingly, and said quietly, "It's okay Jonas."  
  
She heard him mutter something about being cold, shortly before he went still again, his shallow breathing worrying Sam greatly. She rubbed his arm gently, and then rested it back on her weapon.  
  
Teal'c and O'Neill were facing off the animal, even as it paced towards them. But at the sound of Jonas' quiet words, its slitted eyes glared in Sam's direction, and it changed its target. It was heading right for her and Jonas, its steps confident and focused.  
  
O'Neill made a move to step in its way, but the claws swiped for it, and he fell back to avoid being practically sliced apart. The predator snapped a growl at him once, and then continued on its way to Sam and Jonas.  
  
Sam's eyes went wide at the sound of a guttural noise resembling a word. The mouth opened definitely, and the tongue flickered in the forming of speech.  
  
"Mine."  
  
"Colonel, it spoke!" Sam announced, unsure of what she should do.  
  
"I don't care! Kill the damn thing!"  
  
Closing her eyes, with one last look at Jonas, she squeezed the trigger on her weapon, and felt the bullets explode from the gun, shortly before hearing the agonised screams as they tore into the beast before her.  
  
"Carter!"  
  
She didn't hear him; only felt the tears in her eyes at having to destroy what was obviously an intelligent sentient being.  
  
A hand fell onto her shoulder, causing her to stop. When she opened her eyes, she looked up into the gaze of Teal'c, and then over to the point where the creature had been standing. Instead, it now lay in a bloody mess on the floor some five feet from her. A great pool of scarlet had started to seep from the wounds, and she mouthed words that took on no sound.  
  
"Major Carter, we must leave," Teal'c told her, retrieving the Kelownan carefully from the floor, scooping him up and laying him over his shoulders, taking a hold of his legs, and one arm so that he was secure.  
  
Carter headed off at a run after them, taking one last glance at the carcass. 


	5. Chapter 5

She slumbered lightly at his bedside, having taken a few minutes to speak with Doctor Fraiser, before closing her eyes and lowering her head to the soft mattress, and feeling herself fall into dream. She half-felt her hand holding Jonas' as he slept, resting from his ordeal.  
  
Her dreams flashed at the events of the last fourty-eight hours, and the images tormented her. She felt guilty at letting her newest friend fall to danger. He had barely been alive when they found him, and had barely survived the journey through the Stargate. Luckily, Dr. Fraiser and her team had been waiting on the other side, gurney at the ready, and Jonas had been taken immediately to the infirmary.  
  
And that creature, the one that been so defiant in its actions, dedicated to taking Jonas back for its own. It had spoke, and that was the part that had frightened Sam the most. She knew that if it had never shown any real intelligence, she would have had no major problem with putting it to death, but after its little show of sentience, the thought of pulling the trigger and ending that life had bothered her more than anything she had forced herself to do in a long while.  
  
But it had been to save her friend, and she supposed that made it all worthwhile, not that it was her place to decide which life was more precious, simply because she was biased in the matter. There was no doubt in her mind, that given what she now knew about the creature, she wouldn't decide to save Jonas again.  
  
She startled awake when something tickled her skin, and her unfocused eyes settled on Jonas' hand as it twitched.  
  
* * *  
  
As he moved, his whole body ached, and he groaned lightly. The pain was less than it had been during his last moments of consciousness before passing out in the cave, but it still hurt. He felt someone's hand tighten gently around his, and he forced his eyes to open to the bright light of the infirmary. He couldn't remember it ever being this harsh.  
  
"Sam?" he croaked, his voice rough, his throat dry.  
  
"Yeah, it's me. How are you feeling?"  
  
He looked up at her, and took a breath before managing to say, "Terrible." He achieved a small smile for a few seconds.  
  
"We were lucky to find you when we did," Sam said to him, her voice soft and soothing. Her blue eyes regarded him seriously. "If we hadn't have found that cave... well, I don't really want to think about that." She herself forced a smile, and her eyes wandered from his face.  
  
"What happened?" he asked after clearing his throat a little, his voice louder now.  
  
"We analysed a sample of the substance that was all over you, and Dr. Fraiser and I have come to the conclusion that it was somehow feeding off of you, and that's why you were so cold when we found you, and so pale."  
  
Jonas felt his brow furrow.  
  
"You've heard our legends of vampires," Sam muttered, just on the edge of audible, "well, we figure that was sort of what this creature was. It didn't feed directly from you, but rather through the mass it slept in. That's why I found blood inside."  
  
"Blood?"  
  
She nodded, and pointed at the IV bag hanging next to his bedside. "It was lucky that you and Dr. Keiran were the same blood type. We didn't want to risk giving you an Earth transfusion. We weren't sure whether or not it would help."  
  
"Dr. Keiran?" Jonas mumbled, moving to rub his eyes, but realising he was even lacking the energy to accomplish so simple. He sighed lightly.  
  
"Yeah. He was really worried about you." Sam paused, and fell silent.  
  
After being able to bear the silence no longer, Jonas asked, "What happened to the creature?"  
  
Sam sighed, and her head lowered. "I had to kill it, Jonas. If I hadn't, then you might not be alive now. But... it..."  
  
"It spoke," he finished for her, seeing her nod in confirmation. "It spoke to me too. 'Life' and 'death'. That was all it said."  
  
"All I heard was 'mine'. It was talking about you. It was claiming you, trying to take back what it thought was its property." Sam looked sad, as though she had done some great injustice in ending the life of a predator.  
  
"For what it's worth," Jonas began quietly, "I'm glad you did what you did."  
  
Sam looked to him suddenly; a ghost of a smile touched her lips gracefully.  
  
He moved his leg, and winced, hissing through his teeth. He had forgotten all about the wound there.  
  
"You have a mild concussion, and Dr. Fraiser had to stitch up your leg. You hadn't lost too much blood, but enough to make Janet frown." Sam smiled a little. She rubbed his hand.  
  
"How did you find me?"  
  
"We located the cave on the hill, and we went in. The creature wasn't there, and after investigating the sack it slept in, my flashlight glinted off this." She held up his ring, which she had in her hand. "If you hadn't been wearing this, we may not have even seen you."  
  
He listened as she told him of how they had been forced to heat their knives to cut him free, and he was amazed that he had been unconscious through all of it. He couldn't even remember waking up once, if only for a few seconds. Apparently, he had said something about being cold, and then passed out again.  
  
He felt her hand brush over the side of his face gently, and he smiled, closing his eyes, surprised at how tired he felt. Considering he had been unconscious for about eleven hours, he thought he would be wide- awake. He supposed it was due to the loss of blood, and the whole ordeal he had been through.  
  
"Why don't you get some rest?" Sam suggested, her voice quiet and soothing to hear.  
  
Taking in a slow breath, Jonas yawned and nodded, letting himself pass into sleep.  
  
* * *  
  
Sam smiled as she saw her friend fall asleep, and leaned forward, kissing his forehead lightly, before slipping away, releasing his hand, and keeping her other fist clenched tightly around Jonas' ring. She had pretty much kept a hold of it since they had taken it off him.  
  
This last couple of days had really put things into perspective for her, and she had come to realise just how bad it felt to have a friend like Jonas in such peril. Daniel had been bad enough. Whenever he had gone missing, or gotten hurt, Sam had been the first one to don the worried face, and become concerned.  
  
It was the same with Jonas.  
  
* * *  
  
Jack O'Neill sat in the control room, watching them rig the UAV, and he sighed. He had always wanted a really cool toy plane when he was a kid, and now that he saw just how big those toy planes got, he was even more envious. They never let him play with them either.  
  
It's not fair, he grumbled subconsciously, and felt his head turn at an odd sound behind.  
  
"Jonas," he said simply, shocked to his friend out of the infirmary on his own. Well, if you classed 'on his own' as having a nurse escort, then Jonas was alone... Jack was confusing himself again. With a shake of his head, he got up, and crossed to his friend.  
  
Jonas was hobbling along on crutches, seemingly a little unaccustomed to them, and Jack reached out to help him, only to find the Kelownan shake his head stubbornly.  
  
"I have to get used to them, Colonel," Jonas smiled, sinking down in the chair Jack offered him.  
  
"What're you doing down here?"  
  
"I heard you were launching the UAV, and had to come and see what you found," Jonas explained, sighing lightly, nodding to the nurse who asked if he was okay.  
  
Jack patted Jonas on the shoulder and laughed quietly. Even after what the young man had been through, that good old curiousity was shining through as per normal.  
  
At that moment, a woman arrived at Jack's side, and as he glanced over, Sam laid a hand on Jonas' arm gently, smiling down at him affectionately.  
  
Jack raised a single eyebrow, but thought nothing more of the sudden bond the two had. True, they had always had a lot in common, and Sam had really been the first one to warm to the alien, but Jack had never seen this much closeness between them. He was a little jealous.  
  
"Activating Stargate," Sergeant Davis announced, dialling up the Gate, calling out each chevron as it locked.  
  
The light exploded out of the ring, and swirled forward, the blue ripples shimmering back into their place gently, the watery surface appealing to the eye.  
  
"Launching UAV," Davis reported, pressing a button, sending the reconnaissance plane forward at a high velocity, and into the event horizon.  
  
Carter took the seat next to Jonas, smiling at him momentarily, and typed something into the keyboard in front of her. "Calling up visual."  
  
Immediately, a video link from the other side appeared, showing them the bird's eye view of what they had been traipsing through lately. The thick forest stretched as far as the eye could see, and every now and then, there were a couple of thin clearings.  
  
"Wait," Jonas mumbled, and pointed at the screen, his ring replaced on his finger. "Can you zoom in on that?"  
  
Sam nodded, and did as she was asked, calling up a closer view on a rather large clearing. "Wow."  
  
"You can say that again," Jack muttered under his breath, and peered closer.  
  
"Do you see that?" Jonas said quietly, his voice full of awe.  
  
On the screen before them was a scene of apparent peace and harmony. A large family group of the creatures was collected, each one nuzzling the next, and caringly attending to young. A huge single creature stood with his paws on a rock before him, his claws gouging into the surface below.  
  
"They did it," Jonas breathed in amazement.  
  
"What?" Jack asked, simply not understanding.  
  
"They carved the images into the rock I found," Jonas explained, shaking his head. "That's amazing."  
  
"How?"  
  
"They're building a civilization. Think about it... humans didn't start off so differently. Cave drawings have been found all over this planet. They're just doing it a different way," Jonas told the Colonel, looking up at him, his green eyes displaying his wonder.  
  
"I think Jonas is right," Carter agreed, nodding, and zooming in closer. "This one is the leader, clearly. He's bigger and more dominant, and he's the one carving into the rock. My god, his claws must be so powerful."  
  
"You can take my word for that," Jonas mumbled, considering one of the crutches he was holding, his eyes drifting.  
  
"So they're intelligent," Jack thought aloud. Jonas had been right all along. There had been evolved life on that planet; Jack had just been too arrogant to see it. Maybe if he'd listened to the Kelownan... no, no one was to blame.  
  
With one last look down at Jonas and Carter, Jack turned and left.  
  
* * *  
  
Jonas saw Colonel O'Neill, and he didn't really care. He was obviously annoyed that the Kelownan had been right again... he always got that way when he realised he wasn't right.  
  
Don't be angry with him, he told himself, you can't blame anyone for what happened. Apart from yourself. If you had been looking out for yourself, maybe none of this would have happened, and Major Carter wouldn't have been forced to kill an obviously sentient being.  
  
He shook his head, and got slowly and carefully to one foot, taking a hold of his crutches, and slipping his arms through them, gripping the handles tightly.  
  
Sam stood, and looked at him thoughtfully. "Are you alright?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine," Jonas said blandly, shuffling off.  
  
He knew he was being rude, and that Sam was only concerned for him, but the guilt was washing up in him, and he was finding it too much to bear. He remembered seeing something in those feral eyes he hadn't recognised in something so predatory... it had been intelligence all along, understanding.  
  
How did he know that that creature hadn't been a part of that large group he had just seen? How did he know that the animal hadn't been off performing some sort of routine ritual? Maybe it had been the alpha male before it had been killed. Who knew? They would never know now.  
  
Slumping into a chair in his quarters when he got there, he shoved the crutches to one side, and sighed loudly. He was to blame for the destruction of a sentient creature.  
  
Get a grip, he thought, pressing on his eyes to force the moisture back. There was nothing you could do. Sam was just doing the right thing to save me, and I should be thankful.  
  
Hopping over to the bed, he let himself fall onto it gently, and stared at the ceiling, his head heavy with the throbbing of a migraine.  
  
Slowly, he passed into dream.  
  
All he dreamt about was the creature. 


End file.
